Two Halves, One Soul
by Nemisor
Summary: Sequel to Soul Halves. Yami finally got Bakura to sleep. Everything should get normal from now on, right? But how normal can it get when you have Bakura as yami? And how normal can it be, when you start having feelings for the named yami? YY/YB ON HIATUS
1. Not Mine Anymore

_A/N: I've been dead for too long. *gets shot* :D_

_Well, here it is, finally. The sequel to Soul Halves! Tadaaah! I hope you all find this, and if you don't well, have fun without this. I found it hard to give this a name... So, if I come up with better one, I may change the name ;)  
_

_Disclaimer (for the whole story): Meh no owns Yu-Gi-Oh_

_Warnings (for the whole story): Finally Darkshipping (maybe other pairings, if I feel like putting them into story), cursing, and if there's something I forgot to mention.. hmm.. Too bad._

_

* * *

_**1. Not Mine Anymore**

"He's dreaming."

Yugi glanced at Yami, who was leaning against the doorway, watching the sleeping form of his yami, a little smile playing on his lips. The smile made his eyes shine too. Yami's eyes held a content, almost proud feeling, saying that 'I did it'. Yugi turned to look at Bakura again.

"What is he dreaming about?" he asked after a long pause.

Yami raised his eyebrows.

"Forests," he answered, a little confused.

Forests? Wanted Yugi ask. Why would a former Egyptian dream of forests? Deserts would fit Bakura better. But Yugi kept his mouth shut. He knew that people didn't choose what they dreamed of. And if Yami said that Bakura was dreaming of forests, he probably was.

Yugi wondered what kind of a dream it was. Probably a good one, since Yami wasn't trying to wake him up. So a forest and Bakura. Well, they could fit together under few circumstances.

Yugi's musings of dreams and forests were suddenly interrupted when grandpa called from downstairs.

"Yugi! Yami! You're going to be late from school, if you don't hurry!"

Was it so late already? Yugi thought when he tore his eyes off from sleeping Bakura and ran down the stairs. Just a moment ago, it couldn't be more than an hour, Yami had came home, carrying sleeping Bakura in his arms. He didn't explain anything, and Yugi didn't ask. He just followed Yami upstairs and watched, how he gently lowered sleeping Bakura to the bed. Then Yami had turned to face Yugi and started talking.

There was a lot of things that Yugi hadn't understood, and there was a lot of things that Yami hadn't told obviously. This seemed something very private, and to be honest, Yugi didn't even need to know all.

Suddenly Yugi sighed and turned around. Yami was still standing on the top of the stairs, and his eyes were fixed to the door, that lead to Yami's room, where Bakura was sleeping.

"Do you want to stay with Bakura today?" Yugi asked.

Yami faked a laugh as he turned to face Yugi.

"He's going to sleep the whole day anyway..." He drifted off.

"Maybe," Yugi shrugged. " But do _you _want to stay with him?" When he saw Yami's uncertain look, he added: "I don't mind."

Grandpa appeared behind Yugi. Yami looked at him and raised his eyebrows in question. Grandpa smiled and said:

"I think Yugi can give a note to teacher that his twin brother hasn't quite recovered from his 'illness'" Grandpa winked, and Yami chuckled.

"My illness is a tough one. His name is Bakura."

"No doubt he's hard to get rid off," Yugi smiled. "If you even want to get rid off him. Anyway I should really get going. I promised to walk with Anzu."

"I hope our friends understand," Yami said, vocalizing his concern.

"Of course they will, they're our friends," Yugi assured, before dashing away.

Yami's brows furrowed. Sure they were his and Yugi's friends, but they were not Bakura's friends.

Yami sighed and went back upstairs.

* * *

Yami sat down next to his yami.

Bakura was sound asleep and still dreaming. If Yami concentrated enough, he could see the dream, and sometimes when the image was strong enough it flashed to Yami's mind.

Forests.

Just like Yami had told Yugi.

It seemed like a nice dream.

At least Bakura's slightly parted lips were slightly curved to a smile. Bakura looked very normal when he was asleep. His chest was rising and falling normally and that_ thump_... Yes, it was probably there too.

Yami smiled. Just one little thump of a heart beating told that Bakura was indeed alive.

Yami sighed contently and turned his gaze to the ceiling. Everything was over. Bakura was asleep. Life would come back to normal. Or could it ever be normal again? This was Bakura after all.

Yami still had the feeling that everything wasn't over. Everything couldn't be over, normal and alright. After all that had happened how could it be alright? But all Yami needed to do was look at Bakura's closed eyes and he knew that all, for now at least, was over.

The peace was back in Yami's world. At least until Bakura woke up. No one wanted him to kill anyone. No one wanted his help. No one wanted anything from him. And it felt good. And maybe he kinda deserved that.

But Yami's mind wasn't in peace. It wouldn't be in peace until he had talked to Bakura. Until he had said what he wanted to say. 'I'm sorry.' Two words, he wanted to say, and a reaction he wanted to get.

Yami shook his head. It wouldn't help thinking about it now. Now, everything should be silent. Everything should be in peace. And so Yami was silent..

Time seemed to pass fast, even though Yami did absolutely nothing. He just sat next to Bakura, stared at the ceiling and let his mind wander.

Soon the hands of the clock on the wall showed that it was three. Yugi would be home soon. The school had ended.

One minute, and the room was still silent peaceful. Only sounds were two humans breathing, slowly, quietly. Other asleep, and the other, almost asleep too.

At first Yami heard the front door opening, which waked him up from his slumber. If he listened hard enough, he could hear someone talking, Yami didn't think much about it, and didn't try to make out the words spoken. Sure people can talk if they want. He didn't feel alarmed even when he heard how people started climbing up the stairs, and there was clearly more than two people.

When the door suddenly and violently was slammed open, Yami jumped up from his chair, startled. His confused eyes were focused to the crowd in the doorway. There was Jou, Anzu, Yugi, Ryou and Honda. Yugi's eyes were apologetic, as he held Jou's arms in a tight grip so the blond wouldn't enter the room.

Yami stared at Jou and blinked in confusion. Jou's eyes searched around the room, but when he found nothing he directed then to Yami.

"Where is he?" the angry blond snarled.

What's going on? Was the only thing Yami could think of. Suddenly the peace was gone. Suddenly the oh so silent room was invaded by noisy, breathing people.

"Where is Bakura?" Jou asked again.

Yami glanced at the sleeping yami on the bed behind him.

"What do you want from him?" he asked warily.

"I'm going to kick his sorry ass to the next planet," Jou declared, clenching his fists.

"Why?"

"Because he makes you ditch friends and skip school!" Jou explained like it was the most obvious reason in the world.

"Look he's sleeping," Yami said, keeping his voice low. He took a few steps to the side so everyone could see sleeping Bakura. "If there's someone you want to yell at, that would be me. And I would be really appreciate if we settled this thing outside."

Before anyone could protest, Yami hushed the group out of the door to the hallway and closed the door behind him.

"Look," he started talking, mostly to Jou. "I 'm not quite sure why are you so upset, but it was by no means Bakura's idea that I stay with him today. It was my choice. Bakura didn't make me do it. In fact, he's been asleep whole day."

"Why did you skip school?" Jou asked, crossing his arms.

Yami shrugged.

"I wanted to stay with my yami."

"Why? I mean sure he is you're yami, and all. But he's Bakura! And he's been sleeping whole day! I do not see the point!" Jou argued.

"I'm all to blame to the state Bakura was in, before he fell asleep. You didn't see him then, so you can't possibly know my reasons!" Yami shook his head. "It is all my fault."

"You're saying it like he's some sort of a saint!" Jou yelled."Well I know he isn't! Bakura is a murderer! He killed two people, you said he did! Everything you did to him he deserved!"

"Murderer or not, I don't really care," Yami said, and to his own surprise, he really did not care. "I'm his hikari, and I'm supposed to watch over him!"

"I can't believe there's a hikari so selfish and blind!" Jou screamed, before he stomped away.

"Jou! Wait!" Honda ran after his friend.

Yami blinked before he turned to look at Yugi, Ryou and Anzu.

"Do you think so too?" he asked. "Do you think I'm blind? I'm selfish?"

Mostly this question was directed to Anzu. The girl sighed.

"Come with me."

Yami nodded and followed Anzu downstairs. She sat on the couch in the living room. Yami sat next to hear. Anzu was silent for a while, thinking of a good way to put things.

"I don't think you're more selfish than any of us," girl started. "Sure there are times when everybody thinks of themselves, but in the end, you think of your friends too. As for being blind. Well I know you understand that we don't really know Bakura, and to us he's always been the bad guy. And it's true that he has killed people. But we don't know if there's a good side in him, probably there is, but we just don't see it, and Jou doesn't even want to see it. As you said you're his hikari now, and maybe you know more about him than we do."

Yami chuckled.

"A lot."

Anzu smiled.

"That's what I thought. But about Jou. I think he will regret what he said tomorrow. He really cares about you..."

"But not about Bakura?"

"Exactly. Bakura is that type of a person who pisses Jou off, and you know what Jou can do when he's angry. When Bakura wakes up, you better take care of that he and Jou don't meet. I don't think anything good would come out of that meeting."

"I'll try my best," Yami said before getting up. "And hey, thanks Anzu. For support."

Anzu tilted her head.

"You're welcome, Yami. I try if I can catch Jou an Honda. Someone has to talk some sense to Jou, though I'm sure he won't listen."

"You can always try."

"I will!" Anzu laughed before she ran away too.

Yami smiled. At least he got Anzu in his side, and Yugi too. But what about Ryou? He was a wild card.

Yami clanged at the stairs.

Ryou and Yugi were still up there. What were they doing anyway?

* * *

Ryou leaned against the doorway and watched sleeping Bakura. His posture was just like Yami's in the morning, expect that Ryou wasn't smiling, and his eyes didn't held the same content, peaceful feeling Yami's eyes had had.

Yugi watched him from afar.

Ryou eyes moved from Bakura's raising and falling chest to his closed eyes.

Has he ever seen Bakura asleep? Yugi wondered.

Ryou had, once. And that time he hadn't dared to stay and watch his yami sleep. He wasn't sure, what he had feared, but he had immediately walked away when he had seen his yami's closed eyes.

Now he wasn't afraid to watch. Because he knew that if Bakura were to wake up, Yami would be beside him immediately.

Ryou watched Bakura sleep. It felt like he was watching himself asleep. He had thought he wouldn't miss Bakura. Then...

Why did it hurt so much?

Yugi put his hand to Ryou's shoulder.

"He was half of you. It must feel weird," he said.

"I didn't miss him, when he was mine and away," Ryou told. "Now he's here. But he's not mine anymore."

Ryou felt confused. Bakura wasn't his anymore. Had Bakura really meant so much to him?

Yugi gently wrapped his arms around Ryou and turned him away from the sleeping yami.

"It will be okay," he assured.

All Ryou could whisper back was:

"He's not mine anymore. I don't care about him. I shouldn't care about him. He's not mine anymore. He's Yami's now."

* * *

_A/N: At some point I'm going to write more about Ryou, who is right now really confused... Almost as confused as I am!_

_I go read some geography now. Have a test tomorrow...  
_


	2. Borrowing

_A/N. it seems that it takes a while for me to get back to the rhythm :) _

_..._

_And that's about it for Author's Notes tonight xD_

_Ain't I a talky one?_

_Oh yeah, and thanks for my anonymous reviewer Sonia! :D *hugs*_

_Enjoy!_

_

* * *

_**2. Borrowing**

It was Sunday.

It had been three days since Jou and Yami had clashed together. It had been two days since Jou had apologized his harsh words. In spite of the apology the tension still hung in the air between two friends. It had been four days since Bakura had fell asleep, and he hadn't woken up since. Sometimes Yugi wondered if Bakura had really fallen into a coma, and would he ever wake up, so deep and peaceful was his slumber.

But Yami wasn't worried.

He kept on visiting his sleeping yami, though after the fight the visits weren't so frequent or so long. Still sometimes when he had nothing to do, he found himself on the doorway an hour later, though the visit was supposed to last only five minutes.

Sometimes Yugi stood in the doorway with Yami, watching the sleeping yami. But Yugi had to admit that it was not much fun, and Yugi didn't get the thing Yami was obviously got from it. In fact Yugi didn't see the whole point of doing it.

To be honest Yami didn't know why he was doing it either.

So every time Yugi asked, he didn't answer.

And Yugi didn't ask more. He just sighed.

He had nothing against Bakura, but since the yami had gotten into 'the family', so to speak, things had became a lot more complicated.

This, for example. Yami slept in Yugi's room, and Yami's room was left alone.

Now, Yugi just absolutely had to get a book from Yami's room, and it just couldn't wait for tomorrow, because tomorrow was Monday, and things have to get done before Monday. Yugi needed the book right now, he had avoided getting the book the whole weekend. Yugi didn't want to ask Yami to get it, because that would just look silly. I mean, what was there in Yami's room that Yugi should avoid or be afraid of? Sleeping Bakura? Pfft, yeah right.

So silently Yugi opened the door, and stepped inside.

Well there was nothing to worry about sleeping Bakura.

Since he was awake anyway.

Bakura sat on the bed, his hands lay on his legs, and his white hair was messy. He had probably woken up just a few minutes ago, Yugi thought as he studied Bakura's profile. Bakura stared to the wall, his eyes blank. The light came from the other side of the room form the window, creating shadows on Bakura's face.

Yugi didn't see clearly the look on Bakura's face, but the yami must be feeling very confused. Last time he had been awake he had been in a street, and now he was here, in safety.

Yugi wasn't' sure how much Bakura actually remembered of what had happened. Judging by what Yami had told him, Yugi knew that right before he had fallen asleep Bakura had been really messed up. And minds tend to erase the most messed up parts, because it made their lives a lot easier.

Yugi stood in the doorway, thinking of his options. He could go get Yami, or he could go inside. Well both options were good.

Unfortunately Yugi's important decision-making moment was ruined, when Bakura turned his head a little and stared right at him. Yugi smiled nervously in front of calm eyes, that showed no emotion, no sign of recognition.

"Hi! You're... awake. Nice... Eh... Really. I hope I didn't' bother you. I just came here to get one book. I really need it for my homework and..." Yugi realized he was babbling, and shut his mouth in the middle of sentence.

A little dry smile had found it's way to Bakura's lips. He tapped the bed with his hand, indicating that Yugi should come sit with him, and raised his eyebrows, when Yugi immediately hesitated.

Finally, after a long staring competition, and silent persuasion, Yugi smiled a little, closed the door behind him and sat next to Bakura.

They were both silent for a while. Bakura staring to the ceiling and biting his lip, Yugi watching the woken up yami curiously.

"So..." Bakura started, couched a little to clear his raspy voice, and continued: "How long have I slept?"

Ah the classic, the question you just have to ask in a situation like this.

"Four days," Yugi answered.

Bakura nodded, like he had known it all along, he just wanted to make sure. Then he continued staring at the ceiling. There was nothing interesting in there, so Yugi came to a conclusion that Bakura's mind wandered somewhere else.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked, chuckling to the look Bakura gave him. It was like for a moment Bakura had actually forgot that Yugi was even there, sitting next to him.

"Hmm... Well I guess I did," Bakura murmured.

"So are you still sleepy?"

"A little. But it's not healthy to sleep too much, so I'm trying to keep myself awake."

"It's not healthy not to sleep at all either," Yugi reminded.

Bakura chuckled a little.

Yugi had never thought that talking to Bakura would be this easy. He never thought that the words would come out this naturally. And it seemed Bakura wanted to talk to him too, at least he had invited Yugi to sit with him.

"How much do you remember what happened to you?" Yugi asked.

"What kind of a questioning this is?!" Bakura whined.

Yugi smiled to yami's childish behavior.

"This is an important questioning about your state of health."

"So you're a doctor now?" the yami asked sarcastically.

"Just answer my question."

Bakura thought about it, for a nervously long time.

"I remember some of the things that happened, but I don't remember it all," he said finally.

Yugi nodded, and stared at the closed door.

"Why hasn't Yami already ran through that door?" he wondered out loud.

Bakura chuckled.

"Oh the wonders of Mind Link."

"You mean?"

Bakura put his finger to his lips and shushed.

"He doesn't know," he whispered, a wide unbelieving grin lightening up his face.

"Why do you do that?"

"Because I can," Bakura continued still grinning.

"Ah, okay."

Then they both fell into silence once more. Bakura kept his eyes on his hands, studied them and hummed slightly to himself.

Yugi just stared at the wooden door, still waiting for Yami to come in, though it was clear that he wasn't. Yugi wondered if he should go, open the door and call for Yami. Yugi glanced at Bakura, wondering if the yami would stop him. To be honest Bakura didn't right now seem to care about anything that was going around him. His white hair covered his face, and gave Bakura a sleepy posture.

"Can we talk about Ryou?" Yugi asked suddenly.

Bakura's head darted up. He blew the hair out of his face and asked:

"What about him?" His voice was suddenly a lot darker, a lot colder.

"Well..." Yugi tried to find the right words. He shouldn't make the yami angry, but he needed to tell what had happened. "Could you talk to him?"

Bakura laughed, his evil laugh. How quickly can person's mood swing? Yugi wondered, a little amazed of this sudden change of heart.

"Me? To him? And what should I say to him?"

"Ryou... I don't know if you have seen it, but maybe he is not so okay with the whole souls changing thing as he claimed he was. Ryou is feeling really confused right now. And, well, you _were_ his yami. Maybe you could comfort him, or at least hear what he has to say."

Bakura snorted.

"So my perfect little ex-light has finally realized that the life is not perfect without darkness," Bakura glared at the boy next to him. "Listen, Yugi, I do not do favors, especially to my ex-hikari. If he comes to me and talks to me, I have no other choice than to listen, but I won't go talking to him."

"Why?"

Bakura's eyes narrowed.

"He said it. He said that he doesn't need me. And he let Yami send me to that island. I have a right not to like him. Ryou abandoned me, I have nothing to do with him anymore."

"So it's true, what he said," Yugi murmured. "You're Yami's now, not his."

Bakura raised his eyebrows.

"Do you consider yourself as Yami's?" Yugi asked.

"Define Yami's," Bakura countered.

Yugi did not know how. It was not like Yami owned Bakura. But they were definitely in some kind of a relationship. They were half of each other. They were soul halves.

And it was the same with Yami, Yugi realized.

Yami was not Yugi's anymore. He was Bakura's. So should Yugi try to stop caring too like Ryou had done? Yugi shook his head. He had already told himself to stick by Yami no matter what happened.

How hard can it be to stick by someone, when the named someone stands in the doorway unbelieving and a little angry eyes fixed to you?

Yugi blushed. He hadn't heard the door opening. Somehow it felt that he had done something wrong, something bad. What Yami thought of his scene? His ex-hikari, sitting with his yami.

Bakura looked calmly at Yami, a blank look on his face. Yami turned his eyes from Bakura to Yugi and raised his eyebrows.

"Umm... So Bakura, are you hungry?" Yugi asked turning to face Bakura instead.

Bakura shrugged, closing his eyes.

"What if I go get you some food?"

Bakura nodded. Yugi smiled a little, got up and ran past Yami out of the door. He couldn't get far away, because Yami crabbed his hand. Yami smiled a little to Bakura and closed the door. Then he turned to look at Yugi again.

* * *

Bakura was left alone. He looked around him. Then slowly he crept to the bed's edge, and tried to stand up. It seemed that his legs weren't quite awake, because immediately after he had got onto his feet, Bakura dropped to the ground.

He breathed out and in few times, lying on the floor, telling himself to be patient, and tried again.

After a few tries he felt strong enough to walk. Shaking a little he walked to the window, and drew the curtains aside.

He smiled contently as he looked out of the window. Well then how about it?

* * *

"How long has he been awake?" Yami asked, after a long awkward pause.

"I don't know."

Yami glared at him.

"I went in to get my book, and he was awake and he invited me to sit with him and then we talked," Yugi explained as quickly as he could.

"Bakura wanted to talk to you?" Yami repeated unbelieving.

Yugi shook his head.

"He just wanted me to sit with him." Yugi said. "He asked me how long he had slept and that was it."

"Then why didn't I notice him waking up?"Yami demanded.

"Oh, he said that he didn't let you know."

"Why?"

"Because he could," Yugi answered shrugging.

Yami raised his eyebrows. Yugi sighed.

"You can ask him, if you refuse to believe me," Yugi said.

Yami pondered it for a while.

"Well maybe I will..." He started with a mocking voice, but the rest of his words dried to his mouth when he opened the door to his room.

The bed, still messy, was empty.

The window was open and a small cold breeze came in through it.

"What the..?" Yami wondered, opening his Mind Link and trying to search for Bakura.

Yugi walked to the bed, picked up a small piece of paper and read it. He couldn't silence a nervous giggle, that emitted from his mouth when the images popped into his head.

Yami walked to Yugi and the ex-hikari gave him the paper.

Yami frowned as he read the short message written with quick messy letters.

_'We borrowed Bakura. Will bring him back. -M & M'_

Yugi waited for Yami reaction. The hikari just sighed and gave the letter back to Yugi.

Then he went to close the window. He didn't want to get anymore unwanted visitors tonight.

* * *

_A/N: Happy first of May everyone!_


	3. Need to Talk

_A/N: This chapter was written bit by bit by bit, and then i combined them._

_Hmm, I'm tired, had to run today. and tomorrow I have math test.. I don't like math, but i'm good at it, so not really worried about the test._

_

* * *

_

**3. Need to Talk**

"We're sorry," declared three lying, amused, mocking voices in unison.

How did Yami know they were lying?

Because Marik, Malik and Bakura never apologized, especially if they had had fun doing the wrong stuff.

Well then, how did Yami know they had had fun?

Malik had still a crazy smile on his face. Marik let out a small giggle now and then. He tried hard to stifle the giggles, but sometimes it was just too difficult, so he let the giggles come. Bakura, sitting between two blonds, was calm, relaxed and seemingly emotionless. But sometimes a small glint of amusement appeared to his eyes, and his lips curved up a little into a smile.

Yami stood in front of the trio, arms crossed, trying hard to glare both Marik and Malik at the same time.

Malik scratched the side of his nose and said:

"We already said we're sorry, can we go now?"

Yami just changed his weight form one leg to another, and said nothing.

Marik giggled. The yami wasn't in any state of sanity right now, and couldn't hardly mutter a word. Bakura gave Marik a sympathetic sideways glance, and tapped crazy yami's arm absentmindedly, in vain attempt to calm him down.

Yami raised his eyebrows to blond hikari, wondering what had happened during the night that had made Marik weirder than usual. Malik's lips curved into a cocky smile.

"Next time if you want we can take you with me," he offered.

"I don't want to come," Yami grumbled.

He didn't want to spend time with Egyptians. He didn't want to have _fun_ with them. Their fun wouldn't probably appeal to Yami.

"Oh, well isn't that rude of you Pharaoh? What's the matter? Still angry 'bout the fact that we stole your precious yami right under your nose?"

Yami humphed.

"I don't want you to take Bakura away, without telling me, especially since he is not in good health."

Malik gave Yami a scornful glare, standing up.

"So you're locking him up here now, are you? So you're indicating that we aren't good company for your darling yami? That we don't know that already? That we don't take care of our friends? That we don't know when Bakura is in good health?" Malik's voice had became louder with each sentence. "Are you saying that we are not good friends?" He finally spat.

Yami did not answer.

Bakura gave Malik a bored look.

"Just sit down," he said.

Malik did as he was told to, but he kept on glaring at Yami, and even Marik, sensing his hikari's bad mood, stopped giggling so he could give Yami a death glare.

Bakura got up, and fixed his eyes to Yami.

"I do not want you saying such things about my friends," he said. "I went with them, it was my choice. They did not force me into anything." When Yami's eyes were still skeptical, Bakura sighed and added.: "I'm fine, really."

Bakura was taking it all very well. Let Yami play the good and caring hikari. It was hikari's duty to worry and take care of the yami. Alone in his mind Bakura wondered how long Yami would keep the play up.

Just let him care.

Bakura turned to face his blond friends and keeping his voice low, so that Yami couldn't hear him, said:

"Guys, you should probably leave, before it gets any worse."

Malik shrugged.

"Okay."

Bakura pulled giggling Marik up from the couch and lead his friends to the door.

"You managed to get one overprotecting mother hen as your hikari," Malik declared so loud that Yami could hear it too.

Yami blushed. Bakura couldn't help but laugh.

"I don't think he's much worse than Ryou," he said.

"Well I think he is."

"The situation is different now," Bakura argued.

Malik gave him a wondering look.

"Well I can totally see that you are his yami."

"Hey!"

Malik and Marik both laughed. Bakura just humphed, turned around and left. Behind Bakura's back Malik winked to his yami. Marik, like the best partner in crime there was, nodded, grinning. He understood everything that his hikari had said in that one little wink, and he found it extremely funny.

Malik was just opening the door, trying to keep his laughing yami standing, when a voice stopped him.

"Malik!"

The blond turned his head a little so he could see the boy.

"What do you want?" he asked.

Yugi ran his hand through his hair and avoided Malik's gaze. Malik was already turning to leave when Yugi finally spoke:

"Could you guys do me a favor?"

Malik immediately turned to face Yugi, confusion written all over his face. Marik burst into crazy laughter and leaned against Malik's shoulder.

"He wants something from us," Marik told to his hikari. "Everybody wants something from us."

"Hush now," Malik tried to calm his hysteric yami. The hikari was now the only thing keeping Marik standing. Malik was struggling under Marik's weight. He flashed a charming smile to Yugi.

"How can we, evil little beings, help you young ex-hikari?" he asked.

Yugi, catching the unspoken hint, walked to Egyptians, helped the laughing Marik off from Malik, and bowed down to whisper his plans to blond's ear.

Malik smiled.

"Okay, we'll do it."

* * *

Yami followed Bakura's silent steps upstairs. The yami went straight to Yami's room and crashed down to the bed.

Yami smiled to him.

"You're tired?" he asked.

Bakura nodded against the pillow.

"I was kinda hoping that I could sleep here," he murmured.

"Sure, feel free. But we should talk," Yami said.

Bakura didn't bother to raise his head and talk, he just opened the Mind Link and asked:

'You want to talk?'

"I _need_ to talk with you," Yami corrected.

'Hmm...' Yami knew that Bakura was wondering what he would want to talk about.

'Is it some kind of yami-hikari stuff?' Bakura asked.

Yami shrugged

"Maybe."

'Does it require me being awake and listening?'

Yami thought about it for long. Sure, it would easier if Bakura was only half conscious, but on the other hand the whole point of talking would disappear if Bakura didn't listen to his apology.

"Yes, try to be awake."

'Can't it wait for tomorrow?' Bakura whined. 'I'm gonna drop dead if I don't get any sleep.'

"But..."

Bakura knew that yami wouldn't let him sleep before he had promised something. So the yami raised his gaze, fixed his eyes with yami's and said out loud:

"We can talk as much as you want, in the morning. Yami, I'll promise to hear you, but I need my sleep, or I start looking like a zombie again."

That hit the spot. Yami didn't say nothing more, and left. He had a day to think about what to say. He better use that time wisely.

Bakura smiled contently, and almost immediately fell asleep.

* * *

"I thought we would have already went back home," Marik admitted.

The cool air had cleared his head a little and the yami had gone all serious.

Malik shrugged. Sometimes he missed the warmth, the deserts, but all he needed to think about was the situation they were in, and he found Japan suddenly a lot more appealing than Egypt.

"Do you want to go back to Egypt?" He asked. If Marik wanted, they would go back. Because Marik wanted something he got it.

"No not really," Marik said, shaking his head. "Here, life's never boring."

"And we have a favor to do," Malik mused.

"I don't like doing favors," Marik whined.

"Oh, but you will like doing this one."

Malik leaned to whisper the exact same words Yugi had used to his yami's ear.

"Are you in?" he asked.

Marik grinned and nodded.

* * *

Ryou sat near the window, staring out of it in thought.

He had been thinking a lot past these five days. Thinking about him. Thinking about Bakura.

Bakura had been his yami. That was the only thing Ryou was sure about nowadays. Bakura had been his yami, but was not anymore.

Ryou had thought he didn't care. Ryou had thought he wouldn't miss Bakura. Ryou had thought that he wouldn't feel a need to be with Bakura. Ryou had never thought that he would jealous of Yami. He had thought a lot of things. And he had been wrong.

Ryou cared. When he had saw Bakura, thin, tired and close to death, he had felt sadness. Sadness that he had never thought that he could feel for Bakura. Ryou had wanted to save his ex-yami. When Yami finally got him to sleep, when he finally saw his sleeping ex-yami, Ryou had felt both relieved and jealous, and confused.

Why was he jealous? Why did he feel anger towards Yami, because Bakura was his now?

Ryou had been taught that jealously was wrong, and he didn't want to feel it. But his mind didn't decide the things he felt, his heart did. And the pain in his heart became much stronger whenever he saw Yami and Bakura together, whenever the soul haves were together, creating one soul.

Ryou missed Bakura. In this situation, it was easy to admit. Ryou had knew it coming, after all he had been violently separated from his other half. The physical yearning, for that had Ryou been prepared for. He knew that the body reacts every time something sudden happens. But his mind, his heart, his soul, they all missed Bakura.

Sometimes Ryou wondered if Bakura missed him. But Ryou knew the answer: No he didn't. Bakura was whole, it didn't matter who was his hikari, as long as Bakura had someone completing him. He wouldn't miss Ryou, unless he was all alone, not completed. And that wouldn't happen.

Ryou wanted to be with Bakura. He needed it. He wanted to talk to Bakura. He needed it.

* * *

The night had came.

The moon was big and full. The stars were bright and there were thousands of them. The cold air blew past the house, opening the half-closed window. The pale moonlight lighted up the room, creating enormous shadows to the walls. Some of the shadows seemed like human, though the room was empty and quiet.

This wasn't right. There should have been someone sleeping in the bed. There should have been someone dreaming in this room.

The bed was so well made, that it seemed that no one had ever even laid on it.

On the pillow laid a little wrinkled piece of paper, that during these few days had passed through many hands.

_'We borrowed Bakura. Will bring him back -M & M'_

The breeze that came through the open window caught the paper and threw it to the floor.

Three creatures had ran away a long time ago.

* * *

Ryou hadn't heard the silent steps, but at least some of his old self was still left, and he raised his gaze when he entered.

The white hair, the pale skin, the thin frame. Ryou recognized him.

Bakura, messy, sleepy and annoyed by the fact that he was forced here, and that he was now in the same room with his ex-hikari, fixed his eyes on Ryou.

"Bakura'" Ryou whispered, getting up and sneaking closer to his to his ex-yami. He found it hard to believe that the yami was there, with him. His yami, was with him. Not Yami's now, wasn't he?

In an instance Ryou's heart stopped hurting. His soul stopped longing. The soul recognized it's original half.

Bakura closed his eyes, leaning against the closed door.

For a moment, even though he knew he was wrong, Ryou thought that maybe everything was back to normal, maybe Bakura was his. For a moment he didn't feel so empty.

But then Bakura opened his eyes, staring keenly at Ryou.

The ex-hikari didn't find himself in those brown eye's, he found Yami.

And when Bakura started talking the feeling got stronger.

"Yugi said I should talk to you..."

Ryou started feeling nervous.

"Marik and Malik brought me here to talk to you..."

He knew what he should do.

"So little one, talk to me."

* * *

_A/N: Next chapter...talking... :D_


	4. Little One

_A/N: Well hey there! It's time for the fourth chapter of Two halves, one soul...._

_Though the chapter itself isn't very funny, this was fun to write. I do not know why i keep on making Bakura call Ryou 'little one', but I like it, and I'm not going to stop. :D _

_In this chapter: Talking, and some hinted...Stuff? D:__  
Well I guess that's all for this chapter._

_......  
_

_I'm so gonna get hate-mail from Ryou-fans. -.-_'

_

* * *

_**4. Little One**

"Bakura," Ryou whispered, like with that name only, with that one word, if he could say it enough times, he could bring back _his _yami.

Bakura crossed his arms across his chest. His brown eyes were emotionless as he spoke with a slightly annoyed tone:

"Talk, little one. I do not have all night."

Little one, thought Ryou bitterly, was it all that was left of what used to be? Bakura had always liked to call Ryou 'little one' as long as Ryou could remember. And it seemed he wasn't going to grow out of that habit. Good.

"I've missed you," Ryou admitted.

Bakura raised his eyebrows.

"Well that tends to happen, when you loose half of yourself. The body reacts..."

"No it's not that," Ryou interrupted, shaking his head. "It's more than that. A lot more. I can cope with the longing of the body. But the heart..."

Ryou couldn't bring himself to look into Bakura's eyes anymore. He hid himself behind his white hair.

"I want you back," he whispered.

"What?"

"Why can't the things be like they used to be?! It worked then! It would work now! I want you back! I want you to be mine again!"

Ryou's words echoed in the silent room.

Bakura's eyes had widened and he was clearly shocked by this sudden outburst.

Ryou raised his gaze, now determined.

"Why, little one?" Bakura whispered after a long pause. "Why? Why do you want to tie yourself up with the unspoken rules of soul halves? Why do you want me back? Why do you want to give away the freedom you longed for?"

"Because I need it," Ryou answered. "I need someone to complete me. I need you."

Bakura closed his eyes tightly.

"I need you back," Ryou pleaded.

Bakura opened his eyes.

"No."

Ryou felt tears, hot salty tears were running down his cheek. When had they arrived?

"But..." he tried to find words to oppose, to make Bakura understand, but he couldn't speak no more.

Bakura sighed.

"This all happened against our will. But we just have to adapt. We can't go back. Our past is gone. There is no us, anymore. There is just you and me. You have to give up. Or if it pains you so much, get yourself a new yami."

"No!" Ryou screamed, tears now clearly visible, staunching his voice a little. "I don't want anyone else! I want you!"

"But you can't have me," Bakura stated coolly. 'I'm Yami's now,' was what Ryou heard.

"How can you be so calm?! How can you speak like this doesn't matter to you?! Why do you hate me and not Yami?!" Ryou cried. "Why do you want to stay with him?! He's the one who did all the horrible stuff to you!" Ryou steadied his breath, and tried to suppress the tears. "Why don't you hate him?" he whispered.

"Because hating him would be like hating myself," Bakura answered. "Remember? You told me the exact same thing. And the you said that you were happy without me."

"Why do you taunt me like this? Why do you use my own words against me?" Ryou felt so weak, he thought his knees would cave in, but before they could do that, he sat down to the floor.

"Because that's what I do," Bakura answered. "What do you want, little one? That I understand? That I can do. I can understand. Do you want some comfort?" Bakura sneered. "Then you should run to Yugi, or to your other friends. I am not a shoulder you can cry on."

Ryou buried his face to his knees and let it all out. He let the tears flow free.

This had been so bad idea. He should have kept it all inside. He should have never talked to Bakura. The moment the thought had occurred him, he should have discarded it.

But he hadn't.

He had done something, he should have not done. He had made himself look like a fool in front of Bakura.

And blaming himself didn't make the pain in his heart any better.

It all hurt so much. Why couldn't the pain go away? Why did it always have to hurt?

Because it was Bakura. People who get too involved with Bakura hurt themselves. And Ryou was more involved than anyone else right now.

Ryou sobbed miserably. The tears, they didn't seem to stop. And what was Bakura doing right now? He was probably glaring down at Ryou with his cold brown eyes.

Ryou was afraid to raise his gaze, afraid to stop crying, because if he stopped crying now, he would have to face Bakura, and the cold eyes, where Yami lived.

As long as Yami lived in Bakura's eyes, Ryou didn't want to look into those eyes. He hated how it filled him with jealously.

"I hate him," Ryou whispered.

It felt good. It felt too good.

"I hate him!" Ryou screamed. "I hate Yami!"

The tears were slowly drying up. Ryou held on to that one sentence to make his calm down. 'I hate Yami.' And it was the truth. Ryou hated Yami. From the bottom of his heart. Yami had stolen _his_ Bakura away.

"You should hate me too."

Ryou raised his gaze, when he heard the serious sentence.

Bakura sat there right in front of him, and the emotionless eyes were fixed on Ryou.

"What?" Ryou whispered.

"If you hate Yami, you should hate me too," Bakura repeated. "It would be so much easier if you did. For example, we wouldn't be having this conversation. You wouldn't be crying."

Bakura turned to stare at the wall.

"Life would be so much easier if you hated me," Bakura muttered, and Ryou wasn't sure if it was targeted to him or not.

Bakura reached out and clumsily wrapped his arms around Ryou.

He closed his eyes, and held his ex-hikari for a while.

"Just try to hate me little one, okay?" he whispered.

* * *

'What a weird dream,' Yami thought.

He sat on the mattress, hugging his knees and letting his chin rest on them.

It was little past midnight, told the clock on the wall.

Next to yami's mattress, on a real bed was Yugi, sound asleep and dreaming.

What a weird dream. Who dreams of Ryou and Bakura talking? If it even had been a dream, that is.

Yami bit his lip.

Ryou had mentioned his name couple of times. Yami frowned, trying to keep the dream fresh in his mind. He didn't want it to slip away. It had been interesting. Important, maybe? Yami didn't remember the whole dream, just bits.

"You can't have me," Bakura whispered to Yami's ear with a cold tome.

"Why don't you hate him?!" Ryou's scream echoed in Yami's head.

A good question, Yami thought. Good question Ryou. It was a pity that he couldn't recall the answer.

As silently as Yami could, he got up and went to the door, the bits of dreams still swarming in his head. Yugi didn't wake up, when Yami opened the door, the ex-hikari just rolled around and continued dreaming.

Yami closed the door behind him and leaned against it, in thought.

That dream. It had felt too real to be a dream. If it wasn't a dream, then it had to came through the Mind Link. So, had Bakura sneaked out of the house and went to see his ex-hikari, which by the way seemed like a very odd thing to do?

There was only one way to find out.

Yami sneaked to the door that led to his room and opened it.

"Hi 'ya!" greeted, with a friendly wave, the person siting on the windowsill.

"Marik..." Yami sighed.

Before Yami could add anything the blond yami started babbling with a incredible speed:

"Believe me, Yami, you can't blame this on me and Malik. In fact this has nothing to do with us. Sure, we borrowed Bakura again, but we left a note you see." Marik pointed at the piece of paper on the floor. "Besides it's not like this whole thing was our idea anyway. If you should blame someone, that would be your wonderful ex-hikari. Yeah, blame Yugi. He said that we should do it. He wanted us to do it. We needed to take Bakura to Ryou. I can't imagine why. But I guess it doesn't matter now, since we're bringing him back. So before you start screaming, and wake up the whole building, I ask you to wait a second."

Yami blinked. He had caught maybe half of the words from the yami's speech. The important ones had been: Ryou and Yugi. Blame Yugi. He had made the blond's take Bakura to Ryou. It had all been Yugi's idea.

Yami watched as Marik turned a little, leaned out of the window, and started helping someone up.

Yami found himself wondering why Marik didn't fall. Two heels firmly pressed against the wall didn't sound enough to keep the yami on the sill.

But apparently it was, since Marik didn't fall. His hands around the other's wrist, he lifted Bakura to the windowsill and then inside.

"Couldn't you just have used the stairs?" Yami asked.

Marik didn't answer. He held to Bakura's hand, and tried to make him stand straight. When he noticed Yami's questioning look, he said:

"He's just a little tired."

"No doubt. He's been up half the night because..."

"Important stuff," Marik interrupted. "It was important stuff, and if Bakura was awake enough to speak, he would agree with me."

Marik proceeded to clean invisible dust off from Bakura's shoulders. When the yami was happy with his friend's condition, he said to Yami:

"Thanks for lending him. You can have him back now. Here you go."

And with that Marik gave Bakura a gentle push. It was enough to make Bakura trip and fall right into Yami's open arms. Seemingly unaffected, Bakura rested his head against Yami's shoulder. Yami put his arm around Bakura's waist, and blushed a little, when Marik grinned mischievously.

"Everything here seems to be fine," blond said, still grinning. "I'll be leaving now."

And before Yami could voice his protests, Marik jumped off the windowsill. Yami ran to the window, dragging the sleepy yami behind him.

On the ground, just under the window, Marik straightened up and the other one, it had to be Malik, asked:

"What took you so long?"

Marik chuckled.

"Nothing," he answered innocently.

"Okay," Malik said, suspecting.

Then the duo started walking away. Before they could get too far away, Marik stopped, turned around and locked his eyes with Yami's. Then he raised his hand as a gesture of salutation. Yami raised his hand too.

"Are you coming or not?" asked Malik, who had already disappear from Yami's sight.

Marik laughed and ran after his hikari.

Yami slammed the window close, before turning to face his yami. Bakura, without support, was slouching. His gaze was on the floor, and his hair covered his face.

"What will I do with you?" Yami pondered, not really waiting for an answer.

Bakura, however raised his gaze a little. From under the veil of white hair, the yami raised one eyebrow and asked:

"Sleep?"

Yami laughed.

"We can start with that."

* * *

Ryou still sat on the floor. But he had stopped crying.

He still felt _his _yami's arms around it.

For that moment, Bakura had been his.

He still heard the words, the simple order.

_'Try to hate me little one, okay?'_

Ryou shook his head. He didn't want to hate. But what choices he had?

Either he could try to hate and eventually forget Bakura, try to dull the pain in his heart.

Or he could continue loving and longing for the one who he had lost, and in the end be destroyed by his hatred and jealously towards Yami.

Which one should he choose?

Ryou didn't know what to do.

Whatever he would choose, it would cause him nothing but pain.

How had he got himself into this?

* * *

_A/N: Why do I keep torturing people? In Soul Halves I tortured Bakura, and now Ryou. Gah, I'm horrible.  
_

_I'm very sorry Ryou. *hugs Ryou* Well now I have to do something with him... Damnit... :S (what ever will I do??? What ever will I do???)  
_

_I can't just leave him like that!_

_...Because we all just want Ryou to be happy._


	5. Darkness Still Within

_A/N: At first when I had wrote this I was sure, that I would hate this. Then i read it, and hey it wasn't that bad I had thought it would be. Wow.. O_o_

_This is the longest chap so far, because I had a lot of things that just needed to happen now._

_Last chap, well i got a lot of reviews, where people suspected what would happen to ryou. I know what will happen to him. You don't. Nahnahnah. If you do... then kindly get out of my mind. What are you doing there in the first place? It's not like there's anything interesting there.  
You're scaring me._

* * *

**5. Darkness Still Within**

Yugi stood in front of a door.

He had woken up early today. Earlier than he should, it was Saturday after all. He had woken up, because there was things that needed to be cleared. He needed to know how it had gone.

So he stood in front of a door.

Marik had let him in, without saying a word. He had just pointed to upstairs, and winked to Yugi, before swaying away, possibly to get back to sleep.

Yugi knocked to the door.

"Can I come in?"

When he got no answer, he shrugged and opened the door anyway.

Ryou was sitting on the bed, his eyes fixed to the window. His face seemed to be unusually pale and his eyes unusually emotionless.

This was his house. This was his room. His big empty room. And there he sat, on a bed.

Yugi sat next to him.

The situation reminded him of the time when he had talked to Bakura, right after the yami had woken up. But this wasn't Bakura, this was Ryou. And the situation, it was completely different too.

Yugi patiently waited if Ryou would speak. But Ryou didn't. He showed no sign that he even knew that Yugi was in the same room with him.

Finally Yugi decided that if didn't speak, there would be no conversation, and he would get no answers he wanted. So he asked:

"You talked to Bakura?"

Ryou nodded.

Yugi thought, no he knew, that something had gone seriously wrong. And it was his fault, because he had made Marik and Malik take Bakura to Ryou.

So had Bakura said something terrible, completely devastating? Or had Bakura told the truth? Because sometimes the truth was the one that hurt the most. Somehow Yugi was leaning to the latter option. Telling the truth, it felt like something Bakura would do.

Ryou's eyes were still without emotions. He didn't show any sing that something was wrong. He showed nothing.

"So what did he say?" Yugi dared to ask.

Ryou turned to face him, and with a blank look on his face he spoke:

"He said I should hate him."

Yugi blinked. Why had Bakura said that? Had he been thinking about himself or Ryou, when he had said that? There was so much that Yugi didn't know, so much he hadn't even got a change to know.

Especially when Ryou's face showed nothing of ex-hikari's thoughts.

"He wants me to hate him," he repeated.

What do you say in a situation like this?

"Do you?" Yugi asked.

"I can't!" Ryou screamed, closing his eyes, hiding his emotions, that had suddenly appeared to his eyes.

But he couldn't hide the emotions in his shaking voice as he spoke:

"I tried. Just for the sake of it. I tried. I couldn't. I can not hate my yami, even though it would make my life so much easier. What should I do, Yugi?"

'My yami'. So Ryou couldn't just let him go. That much Yugi understood. And it pained him, because he didn't know what to do. The only answer he had was, that he didn't know. Anything.

"I do not know, Ryou," he admitted. "I do not know."

Yugi embraced his friend. Ryou rested his head against Yugi's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Ryou," Yugi murmured. "I promise. I promise that even if it takes forever and a day I will make everything better."

Ryou closed his eyes. He refused to cry now.

"Do not promise something you can not fulfill," he whispered.

* * *

Yami too had got up early. He sat in the kitchen, drinking coffee with grandpa when Bakura drifted in, just woken up.

"Morning," he mumbled and slumped to the chair next to Yami's.

"Morning!" grandpa greeted "Well as a new member of our family I see you awfully little."

Bakura let out a apologetic mumble.

"Can a man get some food here?" he asked then.

Grandpa chuckled, not minding the rudeness of the statement.

"Of course," he said. "Take what you want."

Bakura got up, stretched like a cat and yawned. His jaw let out a small crack, but Bakura didn't mind. He walked to the fridge.

Yami followed closely as Bakura performed his morning rituals.

After finishing half of his breakfast, Bakura met Yami's gaze.

"I promised to talk to you didn't I?" he asked, mouth full of bread.

Yami nodded.

"Okay," Bakura said, focusing on the toast in his hands.

He finished the rest of his breakfast without looking at Yami again.

"Thank you for your hospitality Mr. Mutou," Bakura said and bowed.

"You're welcome," grandpa answered.

Bakura smiled slightly and walked to Yami.

"Talk? Now?"

And without waiting for an answer Bakura grabbed Yami's hand and pulled him up, out of the kitchen and up the stairs to Yami's room. There Bakura let his hand go and sat on the bed. Soon Yami followed him.

"So, speak," Bakura ordered.

Yami bit his lip in thought.

'I'd prefer if this conversation would not be heard by anyone else than two of us,' Yami said using the Mind Link.

Bakura raised his eyebrows.

"Okay."

Bakura closed his eyes and Yami felt him slip away.

He took this change to look at his yami. With eyes closed and posture relaxed, he looked almost like he was sleeping, sleeping while sitting, like when you see people in trains, peacefully asleep, forehead leaning against the window, not minding about the movement. Somehow you always envied the people who could do that.

Yami sighed, and closing his eyes too, slipped into his Soul Room.

He opened the door to the hallway between two rooms.

As suspected Bakura was already here, leaning against the wall, on his side of the hallway. He twirled his hair around his finger and speaking half through the Mind Link, half with his voice, he asked:

"Private enough for you?"

Yami nodded.

Bakura smiled wryly, before sitting down.

"So what do you have in mind, dear hikari?"

Yami took a breath, locked his eyes with Bakura's and started talking:

"Bakura, I've meant to say this for a while now. I first thought about this when you became my yami. But It was a passing thought. And at that time I considered myself foolish for even thinking about it. It took a long time for me to realize my mistake. Sending you to that island. It was a huge mistake. And I regret doing it. Like a stone thrown to a pool, it affected everyone around us. My friends, your friends, Yugi, Ryou, you and me. It affected a lot of people, and hurt most of them. Without wanting it I hurt a lot of people."

"But it was meant to hurt me, wasn't it?" Bakura interrupted. "You wanted me to suffer."

"Well. Yes. That was my original intention. But if I had known then what I know now I would have never done it."

"Then you wouldn't be Yami I know," Bakura stated.

Yami raised his eyebrows.

"Only by making mistakes, we can learn. Only be correcting the said mistakes, we can grow as humans," Bakura explained.

"Deep."

Bakura chuckled at the blunt statement.

"You don't usually hear stuff like that coming out of my mouth," he admitted.

"No, definitely not." Yami smiled.

The smile, however, disappeared from his face as fast as it had appeared there. He sighed.

"Anyway. There's no way to defend myself. There is no excuse for what I did. But as you said by making mistakes we learn. And I have learned my lesson now. I tried to do all I could to make it better. Now there's only one thing I can do."

Bakura tilted his head. Yami closed his eyes, gathered himself up and looked deep into brown eyes of his yami.

"Bakura, I'm sorry."

Bakura closed his eyes, breaking eye contact. He nodded and murmured:

"I understand."

But what was it that he understood? Yami's apology? Or Yami's need to apologize?

Bakura showed no sign of accepting the apology, no sign of being satisfied with it. But on the the other he showed no sing of dissatisfaction

"So do you hate me?" Yami asked.

Bakura looked at him with half lidded eyes.

"No. Hating you would be like hating myself."

Yami shrugged.

"I can guess you can think it that too," he said, doubting.

Bakura got up and walked to Yami.

"You are my hikari and there's no changing it. I am your other half, your yami and whether I like it or not I have some duties to do. " Bakura explained. "You are my hikari and I need to care of you. Even though there might be a part of me, which will never forgive you, I will still look after you."

Yami smiled.

"You're doing your job."

Bakura chuckled.

"Yes."

"Well you wasn't doing it very well when we first became connected," Yami said. "You kept me awake, woke me up, invaded my Soul Room, messed around with my head and after all that wanted to cuddle next to me!"

"Such an amazing thing is a human memory. I don't remember half of that," Bakura admitted.

"You don't? How much do you rememberer then?"

In the privacy of his mind Yami wondered if Bakura remembered what had happened in yami's Soul Room, the island, the trauma, and what had happened before that that had lead them to there.

"Well I remember some," Bakura said after a long pause. "And I definitely rememberer the I-want-to-cuddle-next-to-you -thing." Bakura paused for a while, then added: "By the way the offering is still on."

He laughed at the Yami's shocked expression.

"Just kidding," he assured.

"Well at least you have your weird sense of humor," Yami murmured.

"Oh believe me, it's not going anywhere."

"Good."

The silence ensued between the two. Yami looked intently to Bakura's eyes, but for one reason or another Bakura looked away, his face blank.

"But do you regret this?" he asked, his voice low and eyes unreadable.

Yami placed his hand on Bakura's shoulder.

"Regret this? Now and here?" he asked and smiled. "Never."

Bakura looked at him, raising his eyebrows.

Yami continued smiling.

The bond.

Their bond.

It had never felt this strong, this healthy, than it did now, expect maybe the time when their Link was first created.

Their soul had never felt this complete. The Mind Link this open.

Yami's crimson eyes stared into Bakura's brown ones.

And for a moment, just a tiny moment, they were true hikari and yami.

The feelings, the thoughts, everything. It all was blended together, so you couldn't tell which one had belonged to Bakura first, and which to Yami.

This was the time they created one soul. One person. One mind.

Then suddenly and violently Bakura was pushed aside. The bond disappeared. And Bakura was forced to slip back to his body.

Yami stood alone in the quiet and suddenly very chilly hallway.

What just had happened?

And what had broken the forming of bonds?

Something was wrong.

Quickly Yami slipped back to his body.

* * *

The first thing Yami felt was the empty space next to him, where Bakura should have been.

The first thing Yami heard was the voice of a girl shouting: "No! Stop!" It was Anzu. She sounded very afraid.

Yami opened his eyes.

The first thing Yami saw was Honda and Anzu in the doorway. Both were horrified.

Yami tilted his head.

Honda pointed at something behind him.

Yami turned to look.

He saw Bakura, slightly confused, getting up from the floor. Jou stood in front of him, his back turned to Yami.

"Do you want to fight?" the blond snarled.

Bakura's eyes darkened. Without hesitation he attacked. Despite the fragile looking body, Bakura had a power within him.

It all happened so fast, but immediately the fight was on. Both males kicked, punched, did everything to hurt the other.

Yami jumped off his bed, and he gestured to Honda.

Honda nodded and grabbed Jou, pulling him off from Bakura. Yami did the same to his yami. He held Bakura's hands behind yami's back.

Bakura struggled to get free.

'Calm down,' Yami ordered, but Bakura didn't hear him.

He couldn't hear him. He was blinded by his rage. It was overwhelming, even when Yami kept the Mind Link as shut as possible, the anger seeped to Yami's mind, trying to poison it. Bakura's anger was dangerous. If you weren't aware it would take control of you, as it took control of Bakura.

Bakura had lost control. He still had the darkness inside him. He was a yami, there was no doubt about it.

"Let me go!" Jou screamed to Honda.

"No," Honda said. "Not until you calm down."

"Where did this all begin anyway?" Yami asked.

"We came to ask if you and Yugi wanted to come to arcade with us. Yugi's grandpa opened the door, and said that you were here. Well when we came here and saw you two on the bed, Jou snapped, and suddenly, well he pushed Bakura off the bed."

"You deserved it, bloody murderer!" Jou yelled, still struggling to get free. "Thief and a murderer! Everything bad that have ever happened to you you have deserved! You low-life!"

Deep from Bakura's throat emitted a growling sound, so dark and angry, it made Yami flinch. Every muscle in yami's body was tensed, ready to pounce. If Yami let go, Bakura would attack, and he would kill.

Yami had no way to reach Bakura, to calm him.

"You, guys, you'd better leave," Yami said, struggling to keep Bakura still.

Anzu nodded, and she and Honda started pulling Jou away.

"I will get you one day!" Jou threatened. "I will get you, and I will kick your sorry ass to the next week!"

Bakura growled one last time, revealing his teeth like a mad beast.

Anzu closed the door behind her.

Bakura's eyes were dark, and the anger was still strong in him. But slowly his muscles relaxed and the darkness disappeared from his mind and eyes.

But as Yami let him go, he knew it was still there.

The darkness wasn't going anywhere.

* * *

_A/N: So yeah.. :D What can I say.. I have this all kinda planned out. :D wOOt! Go me!_


	6. Kind of a Ritual Goodbye

_A/N: Just me and Pirates of the Caribbean and long hours of writing, writing, writing. I'm gonna be so tired tomorrow. But we're going to a forest anyway so there's no need for me to stay awake :D_

_It was hard to write this, because there was an one-shot_ _bugging me the whole time I wrote this. I'm gonna do something about it tomorrow. D:_ _Savvy?_

_This chapter is more focused to Bakura's thoughts... than the others? What an awesome way to tell something about this chapter! :S  
_

* * *

**6. Kind of a Ritual Goodbye**

"Are you okay?" Yami asked. "Did he hurt you?"

"I'm fine," Bakura answered. "I might get few bruises, that's all."

He seemed to be all normal now. The darkness had disappeared to the back of his mind. Still Bakura was upset. Why had he lost control so suddenly? He shouldn't do that. He should have thought about it before attacking. He had lost it. And right now he regretted it. Even though losing control was something he enjoyed to do there was few limitations.

Bakura needed to know when exactly he would loose control. He didn't want it to come as a surprise as it had did now. He preferred to be alone with the victim. Nobody would witness the act that followed. Nobody would stop him. If Yami hadn't stopped him, he would have probably killed Jou. But would he feel bad about it? Bakura shook his head, making those thoughts disappear.

Bakura usually didn't feel a need to control his emotions or his words, acts or thoughts. He let them flow.

But there's a difference between a human and an animal.

Bakura gave Yami sideways glance and smiled.

And then there is a difference between hikari and yami.

Yami raised his eyebrows to Bakura and silently asked:

'What now?'

Bakura shrugged.

'Hmm?'

But when Yami got no answer he let it go and thought instead:

'I wonder where Yugi is?'

"He's with Ryou," Bakura answered simply.

Yami gave him a surprised look. Why had he known that?

Bakura shouldn't know that, but he did. Just like that time when he had been Ryou's, he sensed what the ex-hikari was doing. It seemed that there was still a part left of the bond they had shared.

Or had Bakura made completely new one when he had visited Ryou that night?

Or was this just him believing that there was still something left of his and Ryou's relationship?

Now _why_ would _he _do that?

Like always when he was questioning himself, not knowing what to do, feeling confused, Bakura closed his eyes and let all thoughts come and go. Never did he stop to a thought, never did he ponder, he just let it all go. It usually helped.

Bakura opened his eyes.

He would take care of it, as soon as Ryou had decided.

* * *

"So have you decided?" Bakura asked, crossing his arms across his chest.

Yugi had came home just a moment ago, and he had brought Ryou with him. Now they all stood in the living room. Ryou and Bakura facing each other, Yugi and Yami following the situation closely.

Yami, looking form Ryou to Bakura and back to Ryou again, wondered what he was talking about. At least Ryou seemed to understand.

Ryou had a pondering look on his face as he spoke, slowly, picking every word carefully.

"I'm not going to let go."

Of what? Of whom?

Bakura tilted his head.

"And that's the path you choose?"

Both the yami and ex-hikari spoke with certain carefulness, so only they fully understood the meaning of words spoken.

Ryou shook his head.

"No. I'm going to find myself a new path. There must be some other way."

Suddenly Bakura's face cracked into a sweet smile.

"Now I see why you were my hikari."

What the hell was wrong with both of them? Yami thought. This was so unusual, they weren't supposed to act this way. They were supposed to _not_ care!

"Thanks."

Bakura laid his hands on top of Ryou's shoulders and looked deep into his ex-hikari's eyes.

"There are other ways to complete a soul than this," Bakura nodded his head towards Yami. "Better ways. You just find your own one."

This being the soul link? Yami wondered what would be the other ways. He didn't understand what was going on and he didn't like it.

"Goodbye, little one," Bakura said.

He leaned a little closer and gave Ryou a quick kiss to cheek. Immediately Ryou blushed. He glanced at Yami and...

Was that delight on Ryou's face? Was Ryou trying to say: 'he kissed me, not you'?

Yami frowned. Why had Ryou suddenly became do attached to Bakura? And when had he became so attached to his yami?

Yami felt a sudden bang of jealously, when Ryou put his hands around Bakura and gave him a kiss to cheek too.

"Goodbye my yami."

* * *

"What was that?" Yami puffed, after Ryou had left.

Bakura gave him a cold glare.

"It was what it was."

A goodbye. It had been a goodbye. But why?

Bakura wasn't in the mood for questions right now, Yami sensed it. But he had to know. He needed at least some answers. So risking that Bakura would get angry Yami asked:

"Is Ryou going somewhere? Away?"

He didn't know what kind of an answer he actually wanted to hear. Ryou was his friend wasn't he? If he was leaving Yami should feel sad, right?

But in fact, Yami realized, he didn't care that much. Whether Ryou stayed or left, it wouldn't matter. It would matter whether Ryou kept his hands away from his Bakura. Not Ryou's yami...

"Ryou isn't going anywhere," Bakura answered. "That, what we did, was only a kind of a ritual goodbye. Something that showed that we aren't bound together anymore. Something that ended relationship we had. Ryou needed it. Wouldn't you grant it to him?"

Bakura gave Yami a look. It was clearly saying: 'I know why you're so upset, but I still don't understand you.' Yami avoided the gaze, afraid that he would spill the secrets, he didn't know he had. Instead he said:

"He said, he wasn't going to let go. What was that supposed to mean?"

Bakura chuckled.

"Yes, that. It could cause some problems, but we can handle that." The smile faded from Bakura's face. "I understand why he said it. You see, there's usually..."Bakura paused, searching for right words. "...strong emotions involved in relationships of soul halves."

"Like love?" Yami asked.

Bakura shrugged.

"It's not unheard of," he answered.

That was the end of conversation. Bakura refused to continue conversation like this. It simply didn't amuse him. He didn't get anything from it.

So Yami left him alone.

Instead he talked to Yugi. When Yugi saw Yami in the doorway to the living room he smiled sweetly form the couch he was sitting on and said:

"I heard you talking with Bakura. What did you talk about?"

Curiosity, that boy was always a curious one. Always had been.

"Nothing much," Yami answered.

"Okay."

At least he knew when not to push the matter anymore.

"Yugi can I ask you a question?" Yami asked.

"Sure. Ask anything."

"When I was your yami, what did you feel for me?"

Yugi closed his eyes. His mouth moved lightly as he proceeded to find a decent answer to the question.

"Do you want to hear the truth or a nicely formed lie?" Yugi asked.

Yami wanted to hear the lie. He was tempted to try that option, because nobody ever chose it. But today he wouldn't break the pattern.

"The truth," Yami answered. " I won't settle for anything less than it."

Yugi smiled.

"I knew it. Well here you get your answer. Most of the time you were a best friend for me, the best one I could get. Sometimes you were the cause of my every problem. And I blamed you for it, instead of blaming myself like most people would do. You were easy to blame, so I blamed you for a lot of things, but it doesn't mean I meant it half of the time."

"So I was your friend and someone you could blame," Yami summed up.

"No. You were more, you were my soul half," Yugi tilted his head, casting his eyes to the ceiling. "At some point, I think I loved you."

Yugi gave Yami an embarrassed smile.

"What?!"

"Oh Yami," Yugi waved his hand indifferently. "It doesn't matter anymore. It was just something that passed, and it was long time ago."

It was easy to see that, even though Yugi tried to calm him down, Yami was shocked by this new information.

"Love?! You mean like love-love?!"

"Is there any other kind of love?"Yugi asked innocently.

"Why didn't I notice?!" Yami shrieked.

"Yami," Yugi sighed. "Calm down, already. It was just a harmless crush."

Yami sat down to the couch.

"But, but, why didn't I notice?"

"Do you really want to know, Yami?" Yugi asked. "Because, when it comes to stuff like this, you are blind. Blind as a bat."

Yami was taken aback.

"What?"

"That just proves it," Yugi continued. "I am amazed that you actually didn't have a clue about it. But then, it seems that you never have any clue about anything. You never seem to know when people love you. You just assume nobody cares. I bet you don't even know what Bakura thinks about you, do you?"

"Umm..." Yami opened his mouth, trying to oppose, but then he realized, no, actually no he didn't, so he closed his mouth. He hadn't talked about it, and with Bakura, you never knew... Oh now he was just making excuses.

Yugi smiled, a devilish smile Yami had never thought he would see on ex-hikari's face. He sighed.

"I knew it. You don't have a clue."

"And you do then?"

Yugi shrugged.

"Maybe."

He pointed at the doorway. But there was no one there.

* * *

Of course there wasn't, Bakura had left immediately after Yugi had told what he used to feel for his Yami. Bakura didn't want to hear what came next. He could easily imagine it. Now he walked alone in Mutou's house his head was swarming with thoughts, but as always he let them pass.

Yugi had loved Yami. It was not unheard of. It was nothing new. Soul halves. Why not lovers then? But Yami, he wouldn't notice a thing, he hadn't noticed anything, even though, almost everyone else had.

But the really important question was: how long?

And Bakura couldn't help but wonder how long? How long had Yugi had had this feelings? Sure it might have passed, it might have been a long time ago, but they have been together a long time too.

Bakura shrugged. Poor little Yugi. At some point he had gave up hope and stopped loving. Poor, poor, ex-hikari.

Oh let it go, let it all go. That was his way of doing things.

He didn't even think much about the rare feeling of jealousy he felt, because jealously was often labeled as a bad feeling, something evil. And he was a creature of darkness. Jealously fit him in a way.

But on the other hand. Jealousy walked hand in hand with love.

Love.

Bakura didn't like the word love. In fact he despised the whole thing. Because love was something so romantic, something that promised everything, something that wanted to last. Love was good.

Bakura wasn't good. He was realistic. He knew it wouldn't last, it just simply couldn't, because nothing good ever lasts Only thing that he knew that lasted was him. He was sure about it. He would last forever, if he wanted to.

And the only one he could trust was himself. The only one who would last.

And of course...

His friends.

Bakura glared at the phone. He normally didn't use phones. He preferred the old-fashioned way. If he had something to say, he would just go and get the one he was needing, say stuff and then leave, usually through the window. He liked using windows more than doors. Windows suited him.

To be honest, Bakura wasn't very good at remembering numbers either. That was the other reason he didn't use phones. Because there was no one he could call to. There was one phone number he remembered beside the emergency number, and those two were the only one he had ever used.

Bakura picked up the phone, dialed the number and waited.

He wasn't even sure if he was allowed to use the phone, but now he felt like it, so he did it.

When someone picked up in the other end of the line, Bakura smiled.

"Malik? Hey, it's Bakura! Yup! What are you doing? Great! Want to meet? Here? Awesome."

Bakura put the phone down and his lips curved into a mocking smile.

There were always friends when you need them.

* * *

_A/N: Can you see the Darkshipping forming? It's there darlings! :D_


	7. Trust

_A/N: So, now, in the morning, will edit this a little. Before I go.. to a train. Yeah, I have an important interview today, and last night I was nervous as hell, hardly could even sleep. But when you're nervous you write surprisingly fast O_o_

_So here's this:  
_

**7. Trust**

The doorbell rang. It's sound, annoying and loud, filled the whole house. Solomon Mutou raised his gaze from the paper he had been reading. Visitors. Again.

Lately, it seemed, there had been a lot of visitors in Mutou's household. Some unwanted ones, yes. At least these ones had the decency to ring the bell.

He sighed. Life wasn't aways as easy as it should be.

The ringing got, if it was even possible, louder and more demanding. Solomon put the the paper aside and stood up.

"Just a second!" he yelled at whoever was behind the door.

He sighed again when the ringing didn't cease. Youngsters these days, so impatient. Solomon opened the door. And was faced by two blond teenagers. The other one blinked in confusion.

"Yo!" greeted the other one.

"Hey," grandpa said.

"Is Bakura here?" continued the one who had greeted him.

"Who are you?" Grandpa asked, warily.

"We're his friends. I'm Marik," said the one who seemed to do all the talking. "And this is my partner Malik."

"What?!" screamed Malik.

Marik laughed. Grandpa just puffed.

"I'll go get Bakura," he said.

"No need, I'm here already. Sorry guys. It took a while. I was.. busy."

"No you weren't," Malik argued.

Bakura frowned.

"We know you," Malik stated. "you were thinking about something."

"Important stuff," Bakura countered.

"As always," Marik smiled.

"I didn't ask you to come here to talk whether my musings are important or not."

"You never do. So what are we here for? Any plans for tonight?"

Bakura shrugged.

"Go there, do that, what else?"

"The reason would still be nice," Malik said." You never, and by never I mean _never_, call us."

"Friend is need is a friend indeed," Bakura sang.

"Bullshit."

"Exactly," Bakura laughed.

Malik looked around him nervously.

"Let's get going before your hikari notices that we're here."

Bakura raised his eyebrow.

"Is little Malik afraid of big meanie Pharaoh?" he teased.

"No, I'm not!" Malik yelled. "He's just, annoying, that's all."

Bakura gave Malik a sympathetic look, amused glint in his eyes. The white-haired yami walked to his friend, wrapped his arms around the hikari's neck form behind and smiled to the confused looks on both blonds' faces.

"What now?" Malik asked.

Bakura chuckled.

"Wait and see," he breathed to hikari's ear.

"I thought said I do not want you into my house again," said the voice from behind Solomon.

Bakura grinned, chin leaning against Malik's shoulder. He tilted his head a little so he could catch Marik's eye. Then he winked. Whatever was the message in that wink Marik caught it, smirked and walked to face Yami.

Yami stared deeply into Marik's eyes, arms folded and annoyed look on his face.

"We were invited, Pharaoh," Marik spat. "We came. What you can do about it?"

Yami raised his eyebrows.

'You invited them?' he asked though the Mind Link.

Bakura smiled sweetly to his hikari, arms still wrapped around slightly uncomfortable Malik.

'Can't I? They're my _friends _after all.'

Yami frowned.

'I guess it's okay then,' he said before slamming the Link shut.

"We were just leaving anyway, isn't that right boys?" Bakura added, nuzzling Malik's neck.

Yami face darkened.

"Um, I guess so," Malik answered quickly, avoiding Yami's gaze.

Marik giggled at Yami uncomfortable posture and dark face.

"We see you later!" he said and saluted first Yami, then Solomon, who had been there the whole time.

Then Marik led Bakura and Malik outside, holding his breath. When the door was slammed shut behind them, Marik burst into laughter. Bakura smirked, finally letting go of Malik.

"Interesting," he said, studying his friends.

"Interesting," Marik admitted.

"I don't know what's going on," Malik whined and sighed. He turned to face the door and started explaining the situation to it: "They never tell me what is going on."

"Are you coming?" Bakura yelled.

Malik spun around, only to find out that the yamis were already far away.

"Hey wait!" the hikari yelled and ran after the duo, cursing the yamis, and the running, and well everything.

* * *

There are few horrible ways to wake up...

But this you already know, don't you?

And no human should suffer the horrible waking up twice.

Yami opened his eyes.

The darkness surrounding him was calming and quiet. Yami turned is head a little. Form the mattress he laid on he could see the bed. On the bed laid Bakura, chest raising and falling slowly, eyes closed. Asleep. Was he now?

He couldn't be. Since he was the one moving around in Yami's Soul Room.

Yami sighed. He didn't feel like going to his Room and check what Bakura was doing. He felt so funny around Bakura lately. Yeah, facing the yami alone didn't feel like a good idea.

But when you have to, you have to. Isn't that right?

Yami closed his eyes, slipping to his Room. The Soul Room, where person's every feeling, every thought, every secret resided.

The Soul Room was never the same, it always changed. People, both friends and enemies shaped the Room as they shaped the Room's owner's life.

The touch that Yugi had left, could be clearly seen in his room, Yami mused. And so were the others, every person Yami had ever met had left an imprint, a small change, even just a memory to his room. But the hikari. He had affected Yami's life the most. And as return Yami had affected Yugi too. A lot, it seemed.

Yami looked around him.

The Soul Room had changed form the times when Yugi had been his hikari. You could clearly see what Bakura had done to the room. The yami's imprint was huge. If anything the Room had become more confusing, more complicated. There were new staircases, new hallways, new walls. A lot more complicated. Just like Yami's life had become more confusing, more complicated since Bakura had entered it.

But the Soul Room, no matter how confusing it was, felt like home, always felt like home.

It was Yami's home. The place where his Soul resided.

Yami closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling for a while. Then he set his mind to the real task, and searched for Bakura. Even though the Mind Link was closed, he could sense Bakura. He was here, he was close.

Here, somewhere lurking in the shadows was Bakura.

What was he doing here again? Was he trying to annoy Yami, or trying find something? Well there was only one way to find out.

Yami sighed and opened his eyes.

Ask, just ask.

* * *

Next to a dark staircase was a wall. The wall was covered with hieroglyphs, Egyptian writing. The top of the wall had disappeared into the darkness. The bottom was all lighted up. In front of the wall stood Bakura, both arms extended in front of him. A little above his hands floated a small ball that shined light.

Bakura studied the ball.

The light coming from it created shadows to his face. His eyes didn't disappear into the shadows, quite the opposite. His eyes reflected the light and added their own light to it. Bakura licked his dry lips, holding the ball like the dearest treasure.

"So you're here," said the voice cold and uncaring from behind him.

Bakura turned his head and looked at his hikari. He was surprised, but he didn't show it. He had been careless. Yami had surprised him, caught him off guard, but he didn't show it.

"Did I wake you up?" he asked.

Slender fingers slowly closed around the ball. At first the light disappeared and then the whole ball reduced to air. The shadows disappeared. There was nothing but darkness. The light disappeared form the eyes, leaving only the light in his own eyes.

Yami tilted his head, and didn't answer the question.

"What are you doing here?"

"Shouldn't you be annoyed? Shouldn't you already be screaming at me? Telling me to get out of your Soul Room?" Bakura asked.

Yami said nothing. He should be angry, He should be screaming, but he wasn't.

"Are you going to answer? Or are we going to spend the whole night, just asking pointless questions, which never get answered?"

"I do not know. I really do not know," Yami sighed.

Bakura turned his head away.

"Are you going to make me go away?" he murmured.

"What?"

Bakura spun around, gripped Yami's chin and forced the hikari to look into his eyes.

"When will you start screaming?" the yami snarled. "Go ahead, do it."

Just for the sake of being stubborn, Yami tried to shake his head, but Bakura's grip was so tight he couldn't.

"No," he said. "No."

Bakura raised his eyebrows.

"You... _trust_ me," he said. The voice of the yami, so unbelieving filled Yami's ears. "You trust me."

"Yes."

"You trust me, enough to let me be in your Soul Room, even though I got no permission to be here."

"You have a permission now," Yami said, and no matter how hard Bakura tried he couldn't identify the emotion in his eyes.

"Then, do you trust me the same way I trust you?" Yami asked. This had become a game that measured the trusting. "Would you let me into your Soul Room?" Yami demanded.

Bakura, keeping Yami's chin in a tight grip, tilted his head. He was searching something form hikari's eyes.

"No," he whispered, and let Yami go.

Bakura started to walk away.

"Why? What are you afraid of?!" Yami screamed. "That I see something in you that you do not wish there to be!"

Bakura didn't answer. Yami ran after him.

"You have changed. I see that you have changed. And whether it was me who changed you, or not, I do not care..."

"Whatever you're trying to say, don't," Bakura said. "You won't get into my Soul Room."

"But I have been there already," Yami explained.

Bakura's eyes narrowed.

"Do you remember?" Yami asked, suspicious.

If Bakura didn't remember even that, they would be in serous trouble. But luckily Bakura nodded, slowly.

"And nothing terrible happened, no?`" Yami continued pressing the matter, even though he knew he was sailing in dangerous waters.

Bakura shook his head, but mostly to himself.

"My Soul Room..."

Bakura sighed.

"It's a beautiful place," Yami continued. "Desert, stars and the storm."

"That shall be nothing but a memory to you."

"I wonder, how it has been changed since I became your hikari."

Bakura flinched. He opened the door to the hallway.

"Don't you run away form me!" Yami yelled. "I am your hikari! I have my rights! And you, you have your duties!"

Bakura opened the door to his Soul Room, and for a moment Yami could see them, the desert, the stars, and the storm racing in the distance. The night in the Room was still pitch black, and only the thousand stars lightened up the desert, the heat was still there. Bakura set his bare foot to the sand, leaving footprints as he walked deeper into his room. Then he slammed the door shut behind him. Yami stared at the door. He would find a way to get there. He would see the Soul Room again.

He would see how he had affected Bakura.

* * *

There are darkness in Soul Rooms. There are places where Soul hides its secrets, the things that it's ashamed of, the things that shouldn't be.

Normal people hid their evil thoughts, their bad emotions, but Bakura let them wander free in his Room. He didn't mind them. They were part oh him, so he let them be. He wasn't ashamed of his dark thoughts or dark actions. They didn't haunt him, like they could haunt someone else.

In the darkest corners of a soul of dark creature, were the things Bakura couldn't control, were the things he didn't want there to be, were the things he was sometimes ashamed of.

Bakura slipped inside the secret cave.

Here he hid his emotions.

And he prayed they never would be revealed.

* * *

_A/N: My hands are sweaty.. damn I'm nervous. *waves a fan in front of her face*  
_


	8. Sandstorm

_A/N: hey there, it's been a while. Sorry, this took so long. I would like to blame the summer. The heat always make my brains much slower. Well okay I don't really know what it was, but this chapter was slooow to form._

_And, well, I would like to tell you, that I'm in Compy's lovely fanfic competition, so the updates might became irregular..er than the already are, so sorry about that. I hope you understand. I try to update as often as I can, but the competition comes first, well that is until I drop out of it. ^^' So yeah... I have to write het.. Oh... :D

* * *

_

**8. Sandstorm**

Yami opened his eyes. For a moment the day seemed perfect. Sun shined through the curtains in front of the window, and you just knew that the day was beautiful. For a while, nothing seemed to be wrong in the world.

But that was just one moment. And when that one perfect moment was gone, it left Yami empty, facing the real world, with no weapons. Because in real world, things were never perfect.

Yami sat up.

Bakura was sitting on his bed, knees brought close to his chest. He gave Yami an impassive glare, challenging Yami to speak.

"You don't trust me," Yami said, taking the challenge.

Bakura groaned, burying his face in his knees, and murmured:

"Not the first thing in the morning."

Yami stood up from his bed and jumped to Bakura's bed. He was wearing only his night suit, while Bakura had nothing but his underwear, and the blanket wrapped around his thin shoulders. Yami leaned closer to Bakura, facing him, staring deeply into his eyes. Bakura tried to back away, but he was met with the wall.

"I trust you," Yami said.

"I know;" Bakura said, sounding little uncomfortable of the position they were in.

Yami shrugged, like saying: 'I know, you know'.

"Why?" he asked, changing the subject. He didn't' need to specify the matter, they both knew what they were talking about. Bakura didn't say anything. He refused to give an answer. Yami didn't mind. He already knew the answer, he just had given Bakura a change to explain himself, but Bakura refused to take the change.

"What are you so afraid of?" Yami whispered.

Bakura's eyes narrowed.

"What do you not want em to find" Yami continued. "Is there some secrets you dread I find?"

"Of course there is!" Bakura snapped, pushing Yami away. "It's my Soul! Every damn bit of me is stored there. Why is it so hard to understand?!"

"Well I let you into my room!" Yami screamed. "Without permission, twice!"

"What is it you need?!" Bakura yelled. "Apology?! Fine you can have one! I'm sorry I went to your Soul Room without you knowing!"

"That isn't enough! That isn't what I want. You should know it! I want to see your Room!"

Bakura's next argument dried to his lips, when he noticed the person standing in the doorway. He smiled nervously and greeted:

"Morning Yugi."

Yami turned to look at his ex-hikari too. How much had he seen? Yugi just looked at them, eyes unreadable. Just when Yami was opening his mouth to say something, maybe to explain, Yugi turned around and left. Yami raised his eyebrows to Bakura, who just shrugged. The whole argument had stopped, thanks to this little interruption.

The yami and hikari sat on the bed for a while in silence, silently testing each other's defenses, and trying to think of something smart to say.

Bakura sighed.

"If it makes you so angry, I can leave, you know," he said.

"Leave?"

"There is no rule saying that hikari and yami have to live under the same roof. They don't have necessarily even know each other, though I have to admit that could be hard."

"And I thought I'd never see you babbling," Yami said, laughing.

Bakura raised his eyebrows to Yami. Then he humphed.

"It seems like we both need some time apart," he stated. "This living together thing really drives us both crazy."

Yami knew it, and maybe Bakura knew it too. He was lying. Living together didn't make them crazy, it changed them. The thing that drove them crazy was themselves. Yami sighed.

"Well, I don't really care, do what you want!"

"Do what?"

"Something!" Yami said. "Maybe you're right, we need a day off, or something."

Bakura sighed too, leaning against the wall. For a moment they were in silence, Bakura glaring at the ceiling, Yami at the floor, both upset about other's behavior and their own. The Mind Link remained open, but no thoughts were shared with it, no emotion ran through it. Because neither one of them really felt a need to be connected to the other.

Finally Bakura broke the glued state. He moved his head a little, and stared out of the window. The day was beautiful and warm. The summer was here.

Without saying another word, without giving Yami another glare Bakura left the room.

* * *

The summer was here.

Trees had finally got their leaves. Even the one that stood in the shadow of the Muotu's house.

Form behind the of leaves, crouched on the strongest branch, Bakura was looking down on Yami, who closed the door and started to run.

Bakura sighed.

That hikari. He just couldn't solve the problems that were right under his nose, now could he?

No. He just had to go and solve the problems unimportant. Problems, that really weren't so problematic, at least in Bakura's opinion.

Well, he couldn't do anything to that. Let Yami do what he wants. It couldn't hurt, no?

Bakura already knew, where Yami would go to look for conformation. He chuckled. Well Yami wouldn't get much of that kind from _his _friends.

* * *

Malik raised his eyebrows at Yami, standing in the doorway.

"What do you want?" Malik sounded bored. And he was. He was bored and tired of having Yami constantly knocking on his, well, Ryou's door.

"Can we talk?" Yami asked.

"What it is this time?" Malik sighed. "Can't you just, for even once, do things by yourself?"

"I do things by myself!" Yami opposed.

"Well it doesn't seem like it!" Malik mocked, raising his voice maybe a little too much.

The people inside the house heard it too.

"Malik, who is it?" asked Ryou's voice from inside.

"It's Yami!" Malik yelled back. When he heard Ryou start climbing down the stairs, he turned to Yami and whispered: "I have my hands full of playing family with Marik and Ryou. Now, don't make matters any worse than they already seem to be by doing something stupid."

"I don't do anything stupid, if you give me the answers I want;" Yami answered, wondering what Malik meant with 'playing family'.

"We'll see about that," Malik promised, turning to look at Ryou, who was followed by Marik.

Ryou had changed, Yami noticed. Before Ryou had had this little fearful sad aura around him. Now he was wary, but more happy, and he seemed to hold himself together better. Maybe the ritual goodbye had really helped him, Yami thought.

Ryou avoided Yami's gaze, and settled his own eyes to the sky. Marik grinned to Yami.

"Yami-problems?" he asked. "Again?"

Yami just nodded.

"You never learn, do you? Do come in, pharaoh," Marik said laughing. "Let's talk about these problems of yours."

Yami walked past suspicious Malik, and followed Marik and Ryou to living room. Malik sighed again, before closing the door.

* * *

_Knock, knock._

Someone tapped on the window. Yugi, who was just eating his breakfast, turned to look. He swallowed the piece of bread, and walked to the window.

_Knock, knock._

There was the tap again. Yugi opened the window.

"I thought you left," he said.

"Would that make you happy?" asked Bakura, sitting in the windowsill.

Yugi shrugged.

"What are you doing here?"

"Taking care of problems, of course," Bakura answered, and flashed a smile to Yugi.

"Oh." Yugi raised his eyebrows. "What kind of problems?"

"Well you are the problem," declared Bakura cheerfully. "Oh don't worry, I'm not going to kill you or anything, just have a little chat. I think this is something Yami should do, but since he isn't here, I have to do." Bakura scratched the side of his nose and asked: "Is everything okay?"

"Why shouldn't everything be okay?"

"Because you're jealous."

"No I'm not," Yugi opposed.

"Oh yes you are," Bakura grinned mischievously. "I heard you talking to Yami."

"Are you jealous?" Yugi asked., crossing his arms across his chest.

Bakura opened his mouth, but no witty answer came out of it, so he just muttered:

"Maybe a little."

"Ah, so we're in the same boat," Yugi smiled, and continued eating. "But we'll manage."

"I know I will,but will you?" Bakura asked.

"Do you really care?"

"No," Bakura answered simply.

The smile never faded from Yugi's face as he spoke:

"Thought so."

Bakura smiled too. He turned around, and was jumping from the sill, when he remembered something, looked at Yugi and said:

"Well I go now. Unless there's anything more you want to say?"

"I'll manage," Yugi said. "Just take care of Yami and I'll manage."

Bakura chuckled. He jumped off the sill, and in a blink of an eye was gone, leaving Yugi alone to the kitchen. Yugi closed the window, a little smile still palying in his lips.

What was it with Bakura and windows?

* * *

"So what do you need?" Marik asked, sitting between Malik and Ryou on a couch.

"I want to know," Yami paused, pondering where to start. "Does Bakura trust you?"

"Trust?" Marik laughed. "No."

Yami raised his eyebrows.

"We're not very trustworthy people, Yami," Malik explained. "And Bakura is not stupid."

"Would you trust your life to Bakura's hands? Would he trust his to yours?"Yami asked

"No and no."

"Bakura doesn't trust people," Ryou interrupted.

Malik and Marik gave the ex-hikari indifferent looks, like they weren't really expecting him to speak.

"Bakura just doesn't trust anybody," Ryou repeated, before closing his eyes and falling asleep, at least that's what it looked like Yami.

"So this is about trust?"Malik asked, moving his gaze form Ryou to Yami again. "What's so big deal about it?"

"Bakura doesn't trust me," Yami mumbled, somewhat embarrassed, even though he didn't knew what was so embarrassing about it, maybe the fact that he was talking about it to Marik and Malik. It would have been better if he just have gone to talk to Yugi. The ex-hikari always knew how to comfort him.

"You think Bakura doesn't trust you?"Marik asked, raising his eyebrows.

Yami nodded. To his surprise Marik stared laughing. Well, Marik laughed in almost every situation, but this laughter was directed to Yami, mocking him.

Because of the laughing Marik couldn't speak, so his hikari came to help:

"That's just ridiculous, for you to even think that."

"What?" Yami asked, taken aback. "But that's the truth! He even said that to me"

"Then we have completely different meanings to word trust," Malik said, shrugging. "He is your yami," Malik gave a fast little nervous look to the direction of Ryou, but the boy was still asleep. "He just has to trust you, no? And besides, don't you sleep in a same room?"

"I cant see why that has anything to do with trust. I mean even Marik have slept in a same couch with Bakura before." Marik giggled at the memory. " I mean we do that just because we don't have any space to give everyone a room of their own.."

"But Bakura is willing to live with you."

"Well yes."

"I would call that 'trust', " Malik said. "I mean just a few months ago, you were his enemy, and now tables had turned mister. He is forced to trust you, and so he does, as much as he can. So what's the matter?"

"He doesn't let me in his Soul Room," Yami whined. " I let him to mine, in fact he invades mine sometimes, and I don't really mind. But in return he doesn't let me in his Soul Room. What's so big deal about that?"

Mairk and Malik's eyes widened.

"Wow, wow, chill out," Marik commanded. "I mean. Soul Room? There's no way that Bakura would ever let people into his Room."

"But I have been there once already, and nothing horrible happened then. I can't see why he couldn't let me there again."

Ryou's head darted up.

"What?" he asked.

Yami turned his head, and started patiently explaining:

"Well yes, it was back then, when he wasn't yet sleeping, I was in his Soul Room. In fact he would have died if I hadn't went there..."

Yami couldn't explain anything more, because Malik got up and slammed his hand in front of Yami's mouth, silencing him. Malik nodded to Marik, who wrapped his arms around Ryou, and forced him up the couch, and out of the room.

"What did I say about doing stupid things?" Malik hissed.

Yami removed Malik's hands form his mouth and said:

"But it's true."

"Still." Malik sighed. " Look Ryou is," Malik searched for the right word," recovering. And for my sake and Marik's sake, and Ryou's sake, I wish you stop disturbing him."

"What's so disturbing?"  
"You've visited Bakura's Soul Room!" Malik yelled, then realized that eh had spoken too loud. Malik pulled Yami up, and started pushing him to the door.

"Look, Yami, so you want to visit Bakura's Soul Room?"

Yami nodded.

"I have no idea why would you want to do such thing, but let me tell you, like always there's a way. I have no idea what that way is, and frankly I don't care that much. But if you care enough, and apparently you do, just find it. Find a way."

Yami smiled.

"Okay, thanks."

Something shattered to the wall inside. Malik glared suspiciously behind his back.

"You should go," he said finally. "I don't think Ryou took your news very well."

"Eh, yes. I'm sorry about that."

Malik raised his eyebrows, unimpressed. Then he smiled a little and said:

"No you aren't."

He slammed the door shut.

* * *

The wind lifted up the fine sand, twirled it into a whirl, and let it loose.

A sandstorm.

It raged around the desert, with an unbelievingly enormous forge. Everything was blown away from its way. It moved everything. There was no change that anything living could survive in this environment.

But here, in the middle of storm, was him.

Bakura.

He didn't mind the sand twirling around him. He didn't mind the sand going everywhere. It sticked to his hair. It writhed under his clothes, under his skin. He didn't' mind.

Because the sand was just a part of him. Part of his Soul Room. The sand ran in his blood. And it would never hurt him. But the unwanted visitors, oh the sand would eat them alive, leaving nothing but skeletons. And Bakura let it do it. He had a reason. He didn't want anyone intrude his Soul Room, to find his secrets. And the Sand knew it too.

Like furniture in a normal room, the sand in the Soul Room was rearrangeable, if the owner wished so. It was time to move some furniture.

Bakura tilted his head upwards. All he saw was sand. Sand everywhere, all around him, up and down. The stars were hidden behind the clouds of sand, but they were still here. Bakura knew they were, as he knew that the island was here too.

Bakura laughed.

He let the sand move faster and faster, and he laughed.

It was time to rearrange the Soul, every memory, every thought, every emotion. It was time to bury some secrets. See if Yami could find them now.

* * *

_A/N: Now if you exuse me I go... to get some ice... Cool my brains, for a challenge! :D_


	9. Damn These Feelings

_A/n: I'm sorry, I really am. :( This chapter took very very long to come out. First, I had the competition. Then I had a very emotionally stressful week, that ended in a breakdown. So as you can guess, I haven't thought really much about writing. **I'm really sorry.**_

_I would like to thank/dedicate this chapter to following persons: _

_**Detonate:** I don't know if you knew about my emotionally stressful week (To be honest I didn't know about it either, until the breakdown) , but you were great supporting friend, and without you, I probably would have had that breakdown a lot earlier. I guess I'm just trying to say: thanks for being there for me!  
_

_**unchained shackles:** Thank you for reminding me, that I have a half-written chapter somewhere here. :D  
_

_Detonate, unchained shackles: This is for you. :)  
_

_

* * *

_**9. Damn These Feelings (Comforting Lies****)**

It is a well-known fact, that sleeping people lower their defenses. In fact they have no changes to keep them up. Wandering in the world of dreams tend to do people that. People leave their boy, forgot it, leave it to continue its peaceful sleep. Why not Soul Room then?

It is a well-known fact that Soul Room is much less guarded, when people are asleep. Soul Room, at least part of it, is the dream. Who wants to waste energy to keep your door shut, when dreaming?

Dreaming lowers defenses of mind, soul and body. Dreaming is dangerous stuff.

* * *

Yami was awake. Very very awake. But the clock indicated that it wasn't a time to normal people be awake. Normal people should be sleeping, and Yami had always counted himself as 'normal' people, just as normal as a 3000-years-old spirit could be. That is surprisingly normal. Look he had managed his life. He had gone to school, learned stuff, lived a normal life with his hikari. But it's fair to say it was all gone now. Thanks to certain white-haired yami.

Yami groaned. He should stop thinking about it. Him. He should stop thinking about him. It didn't do any good at his sleeping. Bakura had never done anything good to his sleeping.

But, Yami decided, he would not get any sleep if he didn't think about him either. There was too much stuff in his life right now. And he was lying on Bakura's bed.

No wait, scratch that. This was Yami's bed, and Yami's room. Nothing here was Bakura's! It was funny, how Bakura had only slept in the bed for like a week and Yami already labeled the bed as his.

There was this matter of Soul Rooms. Malik had said there was a way. But Malik hadn't seemed very eager to help. Of course he wasn't. Bakura was his friend, and he seemed to be annoyed by the constant visits of Yami.

He should really stop doing that, Yami thought. He should really stop visiting Malik and Marik when new matters presented themselves. But who could he talk if not them?

Okay Malik and Marik, maybe weren't the best talking friends, but the fact were that they didn't gossip. In fact they both didn't care enough to tell anyone. They probably didn't even tell Bakura what Yami told them. That just the way they were.

The fact that Bakura didn't trust Yami, angered him The fact that he trusted Bakura, but Bakura didn't trust him. Yami trusted his yami. Maybe he shouldn't. Maybe he shouldn't give away his trust so quickly.

But that was hikari's duty. Naive, little light, now are you?

Yami closed his eyes. But didn't fall asleep.

Yami stared at the door.

He felt Bakura somewhere far away. Bakura was asleep, deep in the world of dreams. Bakura, so to speak, was defenseless.

But how defenseless?

Dreaming people were vulnerable. Dreaming people's Soul Rooms could be invaded.

Yami walked to the door, as silently as possible. He made sure that the Mind Link was open that he was aware of Bakura.

He wanted to know if Bakura woke up.

Because what he was doing was wrong.

Because he wanted to be able to run away.

Because he didn't want to get caught.

Yami put his hands on the door. The solid stone calmed him down. He was standing right in front of Bakura's Soul Room.

Yami could hear his heart throbbing in his chest. Loud, too loud. Yami tried to silent his nervous heart. He didn't want Bakura to wake up because of his heart. How ironic that would be? Yami closed his eyes and counted to ten in his head.

He pushed.

The door remained shut. Yami opened his eyes and gave the door a glare.

Then he tried again, this time harder. The door creaked, fighting back. It didn't want to be opened. But finally it had to give in. The door opened, not fully, but there was a creak big enough that Yami could easily fit through it.

Yami stopped pushing.

He stood in the doorstep of his yami's Soul Room.

A small, heated breeze caught Yami. The sand that came with the wind tickled on Yami's skin. Yami wondered absentmindedly, how can there be wind in a room. On the other hand, there were no walls, the desert seemed to go on forever and ever.

Yami turned his gaze to the stars.

He blinked. The stars were grouped differently. These weren't the stars Yami knew. These weren't the stars he had seen before.

Yami looked around him. So had the door led him to a different place?

Yami glanced to his right. In the distance raged the storm that held Bakura's trauma inside.

So was this a different palace? Yami had no idea. He did not know how to navigate in a desert, in fact he was very very lost. Every dune looked the same as the other one and the dunes seemed to go on forever. The only place you could look for directions was the storm, but there was a problem in that too. Exactly on what side of the storm he was? Yami shrugged, feeling helpless. All he could do is keep an eye on the door. He shouldn't lost sight of it. If he did, he would be in so much trouble.

Yami was ready to step in, but he froze in the middle of step, one foot in the air. It hit him like the warm breeze, only freezing everything inside, making his heart throb painfully in his chest.

Guilt.

Wasn't this wrong? So wrong. Yami put his foot down, wobbling in the doorway.

If he did this now, if he invade Bakura's Soul Room, wouldn't that just show that there really were no trusting in him? Wouldn't that just prove that Bakura was right in not trusting Yami.

Bakura would never need to know, tempted the other side of him. Oh, but Bakura would know, he always seemed to know, what would make this time any different?

Besides, was Yami really so selfish? Did he really care only about getting to see how he had changed Bakura? That was something people would call selfish.

Wait. Just wait. He could do that. He could wait.

It was better to wait a thousand years than loosed the the little trust Bakura had in him. Because Yami knew, that if he lost trust of Bakura, he would never get it back.

Yami shook his head.

He would wait.

He turned his back to the open door, and started walking away.

He stopped when he heard something moving.

He was caught, that was all Yami could think of. This was the end of it. Yami wasn't sure if he dared to look, dared to face him. But he kinda had to right?

Yami turned around.

There on the doorstep stood some kind of a creature. It looked like Bakura but it was made out of sand.

"Who are you?" Yami asked warily.

"I'm the guardian of this Soul Room," the sand creature said.

"But you are Bakura?" Yami guessed.

Sand-Bakura shrugged.

"A part of his soul, " it answered.

Well it made sense. Bakura wouldn't leave his Soul Room defenseless, even if he was asleep and not aware of it.

"If I had entered, would you have tried to stop me?" Yami asked.

Sand-Bakura shrugged again. Yami counted that as yes. If Yami had entered the Room, the whole desert probably would have turned against him.

"I don't usually show myself to people," the sand creature told. "I just want to say thank you for not entering,"

"Bakura never says thank you," Yami said suspiciously. Was the creature playing tricks on him?

He could have sworn that the creature chuckled and said:

"Oh but I'm the part of the soul he doesn't carry around with him."

* * *

Malik wrapped his arms around Ryou. The boy, still shaking, stifled a cry.

"Was, was it true?" he asked.

Malik shrugged. He wasn't a polygraph machine, so he couldn't tell.

"It could be," Marik answered..

He was leaning against the door and watched Malik and Ryou, mocking smile on his face. Malik gave his yami a angry glare, trying to tell him to shut up.

But Marik, oh so delicately, ignored Malik and continued talking:

"I mean, there was time when Bakura was _weak,_" Marik spit the last word out, like it was a curse. "Yami could easily invade his Soul Room. No doubt he did. I mean something did happen, that cured Bakura form his disease."

"Trauma," Malik interrupted.

"What?"

"It wasn't a disease, it was a trauma," Malik said.

"Whatever. It was a weakness. And Yami cured it."

Ryou stared at Marik.

"You see, Bakura would have died, if Yami hadn't done it," Marik said. "If the situation was any different, Bakura would have never let him in. Understand?"

Ryou nodded.

"If that's the case... I.. I'll go get me some tea."

Ryou stood up, and slowly walked out of the room. Malik waited, until he heard Ryou starting walk down the stairs.

"And since when you have knew how to comfort people?!" he Then hissed.

Marik laughed, and winked to his hikari.

"I don't comfort people," he admitted. "I just tell comforting lies."

* * *

Anzu lifted the cup of tea to her lips and sipped the warm liquid. Then she put the cup down and smiled to Yami. Yami hadn't touched his cup, and he kept his face emotionless.

"Thanks for seeing me," he said finally.

Anzu just nodded.

"How are the others doing? I haven't seen them in a while."

"Well," Anzu answered simply. "They're doing well."

"Even Jou?" Yami asked.

Anzu chuckled.

"He's doing well if you or Bakura aren't mentioned."

"Ah, okay."

"You should talk to him," Anzu continued. "You can't fight forever."

"But it's not me who he dislikes, it's Bakura."

"Jou feels as you have betrayed him."

"By being with Bakura?" Yami asked amazed.

Anzu waved her hand indifferently.

"But it is betraying. I mean how you would feel if I hung out, let's say Kaiba? You wouldn't like that very much. So just believe me, and don't be stubborn on this, okay? " Anzu sighed. " Do you really want to throw away a well earned friendship, just because you're in love with Bakura?"

"Say what?!"

Anzu stared at Yami. She obviously tried to figure out what in her saying was so wrong. Then she realized and with a silent 'oh' the blush crept to her cheeks.

"Oh I'm so sorry, did I just really say that?" Anzu giggled nervously. "I'm really sorry, Yami."

"Do you really think so?" Yami asked, weakly.

Anzu raised her eyebrows a little. What shocked Yami more was the fact that he really didn't mind Anzu's sayings that much. That much. He should be angry about that. He really should.

"Oh Yami, I have no idea what's going on between you two. There seems to be a strong emotion between you two, but you are not really friends."

There's usually strong emotions involved in relationships of soul halves, Yami thought. But love, not yet, exactly.

"Look Yami, just forget everything I said, I didn't mean to confuse you or anything, it just slipped," Anzu said hurriedly. "Can we go back to the original subject?"

"Jou."

Anzu nodded. Yami sighed.

"I'll talk to him."

"Good," Anzu said and smiled.

* * *

The sand-Bakura tilted its head. It watched as Bakura, the rest of the soul, walked up a dune to him.

"You had something to say?" he asked.

The sand-Bakura was silent. He watched the thousand stars, blinking his sandy eyes.

"Yami tried to come in," he said finally.

Bakura raised his eyebrows.

"While you were asleep," sand-Bakura continued. It could hear every question Bakura wanted to ask, because, well, it was Bakura too.  
"I didn't stop him," it answered to yet another unspoken question. "He stopped himself." The sand-Bakura smiled bitterly. "He's a good hikari. I thanked him for that."

Bakura sighed.

"I should have killed you a long time again."

"Oh but you can't kill me," sand-Bakura said.

Bakura chuckled.

"I just haven't tried hard enough."

Bakura tilted his head. Slowly the sand-Bakura turned back to sand, just sand. But he was still there, lurking, watching.

Damn these feelings.


End file.
